"Italy's National Observatory for the
Protection of Military Personnel said yesterday that
it had found a direct link between the deaths of six
soldiers who served in the Balkans and Nato's use of
DU ammunition - the first official study to do so."
(from the story below.)

DEPLETED uranium ammunition linked to serious illness
among Gulf war and Balkans veterans has been routinely
used at training ranges in Britain, The Sunday Telegraph
has learned.

Last night, the Ministry of Defence was urged to
investigate the levels of radioactive contamination at a
number of live firing areas following concern that the
health of military personnel and local civilians could be
at risk.

The revelation comes amid growing pressure on the
Government to screen troops who served in the Balkans
after a number of European soldiers stationed in Kosovo
and Bosnia died of leukaemia, as disclosed by The Sunday
Telegraph last week.

Shells fired by United States A10 "tankbusting"
aircraft are tipped with depleted uranium (DU). Similar
weapons are in the armoury of Britain's Challenger tanks.

DU is only mildly radioactive but, on impact, it burns
off in a spray of fine dust which some scientists believe
can cause cancer. Nato and the US have denied any risk.

Last night, the MoD [Ministry of Defence] admitted
that it had tested DU weapons at two ranges, at Eskmeals,
Cumbria, and the Solway Firth in Scotland, over the past
10 years. They have also been fired at a tank testing
range at Lulworth, Dorset, a senior Army officer told The
Sunday Telegraph.

Britain is increasingly isolated as its Nato allies
have begun screening soldiers who served in the Balkans
and demanding an international investigation into the
"Balkan syndrome".

Italy's National Observatory for the Protection of
Military Personnel said yesterday that it had found a
direct link between the deaths of six soldiers who served
in the Balkans and Nato's use of DU ammunition - the
first official study to do so.

Yugoslavia's army from Kosovo in 1999. Another 10,000
were fired in Bosnia in 1994-5.

A team of United Nations scientists visited 11 out of
112 Nato bombing sites in Kosovo and found radiation at
eight of them as well as parts of DU shells lying around
in villages where children could pick them up.

The number of deaths of soldiers has caused outrage
across Europe, with ministers saying they were not fully
informed of the risks by Nato before agreeing to take
part in the Kosovo campaign. This could threaten future
participation.

Besides the six Italians who died of leukaemia, 30 are
ill. Belgium has had five deaths, Portugal two, Spain
two, and France and Holland have several seriously ill.

Romano Prodi, the president of the European
Commission, has suggested that DU arms should be banned.

The MoD said that it knew of no cases of leukaemia
linked to contact with DU rounds and it had no plans to
screen soldiers. It said that, out of the 50,000 who had
served in the Balkans, there was a statistical chance of
six or seven contracting leukaemia.

A spokesman said test-firing "is a lawful
activity, and international obligations are fulfilled by
doing so".